The MySilkWayTrips team understands the importance of sustainability in tourism.
For this reason, we follow a few basic principles in our daily work and encourage our partners to do the same:
- Follow all relevant laws of the Republic of Uzbekistan and include sustainability principles in our everyday business activities.
- Protect nature and biodiversity, and continuously work to reduce our environmental impact.
- Promote responsible tourism in our destinations and encourage clients to make environmentally friendly travel choices.
- Support local communities, strengthen local livelihoods, and reduce economic leakage from tourism.
- Share information, provide guidance, and support colleagues and partners in applying sustainable practices.
Here you can find Sustainability Policy: link
Sustainability Report 2024-2026:
In the office:
- Replaced all lighting fixtures with energy-efficient LED bulbs.
- Provided staff briefings on safety procedures and appropriate conduct in emergencies.
- Registered new employees for Travelife training programs.
- Organised an internal office seminar focused on sustainable tourism development.
- Conducted an official briefing and discussion for employees on the new Labour Code of Uzbekistan.
In our tours, we have:
- Worked closely with accommodation providers to phase out single-use bottles and replace them with water cooler systems.
- Purchased handmade babaiyachik sculptures from local artisans in Samarkand and distributed them to tourists as gifts, thereby supporting local craftsmanship and traditional skills.
Reducing our environmental impact, supporting local communities, and promoting responsible tourism are core elements of our operations. MySilkWayTrips remains committed to identifying innovative solutions, working closely with partners, and actively involving our staff and travelers in building a more sustainable future.
How to travel responsibly
Caring for the environment:
- Sort waste and dispose of it in designated containers where available.
- Use reusable shopping bags instead of plastic ones.
- Switch off lights when they are not in use.
- Reduce the use of transport and walk whenever possible.
- When travelling to mountain areas or visiting forests, respect the rules of nature reserves and national parks. Do not leave litter, damage plants, or disturb wildlife.
Caring for local communities:
- Support local businesses during your stay: choosing locally owned accommodation instead of chain hotels is one of the best ways to stimulate regional development and travel responsibly.
- Men usually greet each other with a handshake. It is not customary to shake hands with women; a verbal greeting or a slight nod is sufficient.
- Direct communication with young women should be avoided, especially without others present.
- If you wish to give something to children, please do so through their parents. Avoid being alone with children without parental presence.
- Shoes should be removed when entering a private home and religious places.
- Always ask for permission before taking photos or videos of people.
- While sexual and commercial exploitation is not a serious problem in Uzbekistan, we are committed to preventing any such incidents. We encourage you to remain vigilant and report any suspicious behaviour.
Your co-operation will help us to maintain a safe and welcoming environment for all.
Export of cultural property and illegal souvenirs
Some artistic products (carpets, suzanis, antiques, musical instruments, artistic furniture, fiction over 50 years old, paintings, graphics, sculpture, artistic items made of silver, silver dishes) are subject to examination, without which the export of these items is impossible from Uzbekistan. If you have questions about the examination, please contact sellers, guides, drivers or our employees.
The full list of prohibited items and souvenirs can be found here.